E3 2021 Announced and Dated
E3 2020 may not be happening this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but E3 2021 will happen. [...]
E3 2020 may not be happening this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but E3 2021 will happen. Today, the Entertainment Software Association not only confirmed the show will return next year, but has already put a date on the 2021 event. More specifically, the ESA has announced that E3 2021 will go down on June 15, and run until June 17. The news was shared with various partners, and it was noted that next year's event will be a "reimagining" of past shows. Of course, this suggests major changes to the format, but the ESA has been singing a similar tune for a few years now, and the show hasn't drastically changed.
As for E3 2020, last we heard, the ESA was looking into "exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020." Unfortunately, there's been no update to this, however some are reporting that the ESA will not hold any type of online E3 event. Rather, the organization will allegedly be asking its publisher and developer partners to pick up the weight, presumably with their own digital events. That said, until you hear this information directly from the ESA, be sure to take it with a grain of salt.
Of course, it remains to be seen if the show will be able to return in the same capacity after missing a year. As you will know, this was set to be a big year for the show given the proximity to the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, which will already be out and less exciting come June 2021.
Four sources tell @VIrtualEconCast that despite weeks to pull something together, The ESA will not hold any sort of online E3 event. Instead, the organization will lean on its publisher and developer partners. I'm told an official announcement will likely come early next week.
— Mike Futter (@Futterish) April 3, 2020
At the moment of publishing, the ESA has not provided any details on E3 2021 other than that it will be a "reimagined" version of the event. Further, it has not commented on claims that there will be no digital E3 2020.
H/T, Games Industry.